Time is running out for David Davis to hand over secret Government assessments of how Brexit will affect the economy – or risk being in contempt of Parliament.
The Government agreed on Wednesday November 1 to give the papers to the Brexit Select Committee, but later said they would not be available until November 28 at the latest.
With the deadline fast approaching, Brexit Committee chair Hilary Benn is yet to receive the impact studies, which cover 58 sectors of the UK economy.
A source close to the Committee told HuffPost UK today they expect the Government to honour its pledge, but have no idea what form the assessments will be presented.
“It could be in two plastic Sainsburys bags,” the source quipped.
The Government were opposed to making the documents public as they feared it would harm the UK’s negotiating position.
However, on November 1 ministers accepted a Labour motion calling for them to be given to MPs in a bid to avoid a Commons defeat on the matter.
Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer today reminded the Government it has little time left to honour its pledge.
He said: “Labour fully understand the importance of protecting the UK’s negotiating position with the European Union.
“However, the decision agreed unanimously by MPs earlier this month was about transparency and ensuring Parliament had the information it needs to hold ministers to account during the Brexit process.
“Ministers have accepted that the vote was binding and they must now respect Parliament’s decision.
“That means releasing the impact studies to the Brexit Select Committee in full and unredacted before Parliament rises on Tuesday.
“If ministers fail to act then we will have no choice but to raise this matter with the Speaker of the Commons.”
One the impact studies are handed over the Brexit Committee, MPs will decide which documents can be made public and which should stay private in order to protect the UK’s negotiations with the EU.
ITV’s Political Editor Robert Peston claimed the Government has already worked through the more than 800 pages of assessments and stripped out any content which they believe could affect negotiations.
Writing on Facebook, Peston said: “Davis and the prime minister believe that editing out such information - such as the names of companies submitting evidence and information highlighting where certain kinds of Brexit are most economically toxic - is consistent with the vote by MPs and the ruling of the speaker that these so-called impact assessments should be given to MPs.”
The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesperson said today the Government would honour the deadline.
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